Wireless transmitting or receiving set



June 1944- D. BOTERWEG ET AL WIRELESS TRANSMITTING OR RECEIVING SET Filed June 17, 1940 Sheets-Sheet 1 DIRK 5075A wEa- To R s F4 OR a; C. W 4 0a FF INVEN I BY M ATTORNEY.

June ,1 I D. BOTERWEG Er). 2,351,135

WIRELESS TRANSMITTING OR RECEIVING SET Filed June 17, I940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 DIRK BaTE/vwsoflonus .644. SLOOFF INVENTORS' E I ATTORNEY1 Patented June 13, 1944 Dirk Boterweg and Florus Cornelis Willem Sloofl, Eindhoven, Netherlands, assignors to Radio Corporation of America. New York, N. Y.,

Application June 17, 1940, Serial No. 341,032 In the Netherlands June 17, 1939 4 Claims.

Thisinvention relates to a wireles transmitting or receiving set comprising a device for tuningto a number of predetermined wavelengths. With such sets it is often desired that they should be tuned automatically to a given wavelength. Particularly in the case of a trans- 'mitter a number of adjustable members such as several wave-range switches and fine-adjustment elements for the various circuits, must be separately operated for this purpose. In speaking of adjustable members it is intended to include, for example, a control circuit and separatorcircuit condensen'the wave range tappings on the control and separator circuit coils and the wave-range tappings on the anode circuit of the final stage and the antenna-circuit coils. The

"present invention makes provision for means whereby all these controls can be effected simultaneously, after a selecting member is adjusted to the desired station, by rotation of a single shaft which can be driven by a hand-knob or a motor. It is hardly necessary to mention that such a control i substantially simpler than that of transmitting or receiving installations in which a separate knob has to be rotated for each variable element. The device according to the invention can previously be adjusted, with the aid of the means to be described hereinafter, to a number of wavelengths to be received or to be transmitted automatically.

The device according to the invention is characterized in that the set comprises a selecting device, a common drive mechanism for the variable elements and locking devices for these elements. One of the parts of a locking device, which is adjustable and when in use is rigidly coupled to the shafts of the variable elements to be adjusted automatically, is provided for each of the wavelengths to be adjusted automatically and the other parts of the locking devices are I moved into the correct position by the adjustment of the selecting device. The drive mechanism is coupled in such slipping manner to the shafts of the variable elements that the movement of the drive mechanism has the effect of moving the variable elements to the desired position until the associated locking parts co-oper- I ate and the shaft or shafts of the variable ele- ,'ments corresponding to these locking parts are stopped.

It is simple from a constructional point of view when the transmitting or receiving set according to the invention is so constructed that the shafts of the variable elements which are .connected to the common drive mechanism via a slipping coupling are arranged at the comers of an equilateral polygon. According to the invention, in this case all the shafts of the variable elements engage, via a slipping coupling 'of their own, a common member such as a gear wheel the shaft of which is located at the centre of gravity of the polygon.

In a further form of construction of the set according to the invention the driving means rigidly coupled to the shafts of the variable elements are arranged co-axially, preferably on one shaft, the driving means being slippingly coupled to this shaft and this shaft being driven by the common drive mechanism, the shaft of the selecting member being arranged parallel to this shaft in such manner that the locking members mounted on it can co-operate with the locking members which, when in use, are rigidly coupled to the driving means of the variable elements.

According to the invention, a number of rings corresponding at least to the number of, wavelengths to be tuned automatically may be coupled adj ustably but when in use rigidly in relation to the shafts of each of the variable elements, said rings being furnished at their circumference with one of the parts of the locking mechanisnn This part of the locking mechanism, which part is arranged on the rings, maybe formed by a change in profile, for example an indentation, of the surface of the rings.

According to the invention, it is advantageous to arrange on a rotary shaft rigidly connected to the selecting device members such as projecting lugs, pawls, rollers or the-like the number of which corresponds at least to the number of tuned wavelengths, said members being distributed on the said shaft in a helical line over equal distances and co-operating, in some cases by the intermediary of other members such as springs or the like, with the parts of the locking mechanism which are arranged on the shafts of the variable elements.

If such a set is also to be used for hand-tuning it is preferable that for this purpose a steadying mechanism should be provided for the interengaging members such as gear wheels which are coupled to the shafts of the variable elements through-a slipping coupling, and in the position of the selecting device which is associated with this manner of tuning, all mutual locking devices One form of construction of the tuning device which comprises the wireless transmitting or receiving set according to the invention is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, Fig. 1 being a plan of the tuning device and Fig. 2 a side elevation in the direction of the arrow P, the driving means "I and 23 of the variable elements and the selecting device .40 being aligned. The driving means 30 so as to be less high than the other rings, has

" formed in it an indentation 31 which constitutes one of the parts of the locking device to be described hereinafter. To the bottom of the shell 34 is secured a friction plate 33 which together with a friction plate 39 rigidly secured to the gear wheel 22 constitutes a slipping coupling between the shaft 2| and the drive mechanism and the locking devices, operated by the selecting device, which are associated therewith and with the driving means 20 are omitted in thisflgure.

Fi 3 is an elevation of another embodiment of the invention.

The tuning device shown in the two embodiments illustrated is intended for wireless transmitting sets in which three adjustable members have to be controlled separately for the purpose to sets in which automatic tuning'has to be effected to more or less than eight wavelengths,

there being in addition no need for limiting the number of adjustable members to three.

The figures do not show the variable elements but they show the shafts 2|, 23 and 25 (Figs. 1, 2) which are rigidly coupled, in some cases via a transmission, to the said elements and which in the present case are arranged at the corners of an equilateral triangle. The shaft 2| has the control circuit condenser and separator circuit condenser of the transmitter coupled to it. The -shaft 23 controls the wave-range tapping-s on the control and separator circuit coils, whereas the I shaft 25 controls the wave-range tappings on the anode circuit of the final stage and the antenna circuit coils. These shafts are each connected, via a slipping coupling to be mentioned hereinafter, to a common drive mechanism which comprises inter alia a gear wheel 28 rotating loosely about a shaft 21 arranged at the centre of gravity of the equilateral triangle and engaging three gear wheels 22, 24, 26 which are adapted to rotate about the shafts 2|, 23, 25 respectively. The gear wheel 22 may be operatedby a hand-knob or by a motor by which the other gear wheels 24, 26 are also set rotating as a result of the mutual coupling by the gear wheel 28. In the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the drive mechanism is caused to move by rotation of a crank 33 mounted on a shaft 32 which carries a pinion 3|. This pinion drives the gear wheel 22 via a gear wheel 29 and thus the remaining gear wheels 28,24, 26.

Each of the shafts 2|, 23, 25 of the variable elements is rigidly coupled to a driving means the following parts of which are shown in the drawings: a cylindrical shell 34 arranged so as to be concentric with the associated shaft and closed at the top by a plate 35 which is rigidly connected to the associated shaft, as may be seen in Fig. 2 for the shaft 2|. The construction of the driving means will be set out more fully with reference to the driving means l for the shaft 2|. At the circumference of the shell 34 are arranged nine rings to 9 separated from each other by partitions 36. When in use these rings- 1 are r gidly arranged on the shell 34 and consequently also rigidly in relation to the shaft 2| but they can be detached from the shel1 by a device (not shown) and are thus enabled to be rotated relatively to the shaft. The periphery of The driving means 30 associated with the shaft is similarly constructed except for the ring without indentation which is not. arranged at 3, as in the previous case discussed, but at 3 (not shown).

With thedriving means 20 associated with the shaft 23 the difference from the driving means mentioned above is that the lowermost ring 8 is omitted and has given place to a gear rim 4| rigidly connected to the gear wheel 24. The slipping coupling between the gear wheels 24, 4| and the shaft 23 is indicated in dotted lines here.

The shaft 21 mentioned before, which is arranged at the centre of gravity of the equilateral trianglewhich is formed by the shafts 2 I, 23 and 25, has secured to it the selecting device 43 which can be rotated by meansof an adjusting knob c2. Nine rollers ill to H9 are uniformly distributed, along a helical line, about the circumference of the cylindrical shell 33, which is concentric with the shaft 21. These rollers are journalled in supports 44 secured to the shell 43. They are arranged in such manner that the roller III is always located in the plane that passes through the ring I on the driving means of the variable elements and similarly the roller 2 in the plane that passes through the rings 2 and so forth.

Each of three spring carriers 45 has secured to it the ends of nine springs II to IS the free ends of which extend in groups between the selectin device and a driving means for a variable element. These springs form jointly with the indentations 31 on the rings the locking devices for the variable elements, the springs being arranged in such manner that in succession the spring II is flush with the roller HI and with the ring I, the spring l2 with the roller 2 and the ring 2 and so forth.

At its free end each spring II to Is is provided with a hook-shaped extension H to I! which is arranged at a-small distance in radial direction of the ring corresponding therewith on the driving means.

each ring except for ring 3, which is constructed In each of the nine positions which the selecting device 40 is adapted to occupy, in each group of springs the end of one spring is forced by the associated roller against the ring associated with this spring.

The operation of the device is as follows. In order to make the set suitable for transmission at a given wavelength the variable elements have to be moved into a given position. If this wavelength is to be obtained automatically by means of the device according to the invention care must be taken that the rings having an indentation formed in them and which co-operate with the springs that are forced against these rings by the rollers of the selecting device when the latter is moved into the desired position occupy a correct position relatively to their shaft. This adjustment will be set out in greater detail for the ring 6 on the driving means It. The selecting device 40 is caused to occupy the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The end IQ of the spring I6 is thus forced by the roller II! on to the ring with the desired wavelength. The ring is then set tightly again on the shell '34. For the adjustment of the rings 3 and 9 on the other driving driving means rotating therewith. The springs I3 and I6 which are compressed in hand tunin may be omitted similarly to the associated rings 3 and 6 on the driving means In and 3!! respectively.

In order to prevent rotation of the crank 33 mounted on the shaft 32 from resulting in harmfu1 effects for the locking device, which with hand tuning acts on the common drive mechanism, care must be taken that the coupling between the pinion 3I and the other gear wheels is interrupted. This may be effected, for example,

means 26 and 30 respectively associated with this wavelength the same course is followed, the crank 33 being put on the shaft 23 or 25 respectively.

For the adjustmentof another wavelength the selecting device is moved to another position in which three other rollers force the corresponding springs on to the associated rings. The adjustment to the desired wavelength is again efl'ected for these three rings in the manner indicated above.

For the purpose of tuning automatically to the first-mentioned wavelength the selecting device 46 is first moved into the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The driving means III, and 30 are then set rotating by the common drive mechanism by means of the crank 33 which is put on the shaft 32. ,,Each driving means turns until the depressed spring associated therewith jumps into the indentatiqn' of a ring co-operating therewith. This driving nfeans has thus moved the variable element controlled thereby into the desired position. Due to the friction clutch 38, 33 between this driving means and the common drive mechanism the position of this variable element will no longer be altered on further rotation of the crank 33 although the remaining driving means, when they have not yet occupied their final posi-. tion, can be rotated further until, due to their locking device becoming operative, they also slip relatively to the common drive mechanism.

Fig. 1 shows a moment at which the springs I6 and I9 already lock. the driving means Ill and 30 but at which the crank 33 has to be rotated further in order also to lock the driving means 20 by the spring I3.

Wireless sets comprising an automatic tuning device for a number of stations generally com-.

prise in addition a device enabling tuning by hand which permits of also'transmitting or receiving at a wavelength which cannot be obtained by the automatic tuning device. In the device according to the invention hand tuning is possible in the following manner. In one of the positions of the selecting device the roller H9 cooperates with the lowermost spring of the group of springs associated with the driving means 20. This spring is not forced on to a ring but is forced on to a gear rim M to which the ring has given place and which is rigidly connected to the gear wheel 24. This has the effect of preventing the common drive mechanism 3|, 29, 22, 28, 26, 24 from rotating any further. Since the two other compressed springs I3 and I6 associated with the driving means I0 and 36 respectively are located opposite the lowered rings without indentation, 3 and 6 respectively, it is possible to control the three driving means I0, 26 and 36 forthe adjustment to a wavelength independently of each other, for example by means of the crank 33 which for this purpose is put on the shaft 2|, 23 or respectively without rotation of one driving means resulting in another by the gear wheel 29 being thrown out of gear with the gear wheel 22 by the selecting device placed in hand tuning.

It is hardly necessary to mention that the device according to the invention also permits of tuning to more or less than 8 wavelengths (that is the number that is obtained by means of the device according to Figs. 1 and 2). In addition the device is not limited to'the tuning of three variable elements. Thus, for example, it is possible to arrange four driving means in a square. the selecting device arranged at the centre of gravity thereof carrying eight rollers which cooperate in succession with the eight rings of a driving means. This construction enables the obtainment of seven wavelengths, the eighth position of the selecting device serving again for hand tuning.

The device shown in Fig. 3 is identical in operation with that of Figs. 1 and 2 but the ar.- rangement is different, the driving means 50, 60, 10 rigidly coupled to the shafts 46 of the variable elements being axially arranged on the shaft 41 of the common drive mechanism and each driving means being coupled to this shaft with the interposition of a slipping coupling of its 'own. This coupling comprises a friction plate 48 secured to the driving means and a friction plate 49 secured to the shaft 41. The shaft 41 has fast on it a gear wheel 5I which is driven by a pinion 53 through a gear wheel 52.

The driving means 50, 6B and 10 carry each a gear wheel 54 which engages a gear. wheel 55 fast on a shaft 46 coupled to a variable element. In addition, each driving means carries eight rings 6| to 68 comprising an indentation 56, said number corresponding to the desired number of automatically tuned wavelengths. Each ring of a driving mean-s co-operates with a spring from the group of springs I6I to I68 arranged near the driving means. The shaft 51 of the selecting member 60 which carries the rollers is arranged parallel to the shaft 41. For each driving means the selecting device comprises eight rollers 26I to 268 which are distributed uniformly along the circumference of the shell 58 in the form of a helical line. Only the lowermost group of rollers on the selecting device has added to it a ninth roller 269 which, in the position of the selecting device suited therefor, enables hand tuning. This roller is then located opposite the gear ring 59 secured to the ar wheel 5I, said ring being locked by the spring I69 compressed by this roller. The variable elements can thus be adjusted separately. and independently of each other.

The adjustment of the rings on the driving means, the automatic tuning and the hand tuning need not be set out in detail since the opposition-determining means on their respective shafts.

2. In radio signalling apparatus, a plurality of control shafts, a' set of position-determining means for each of said shafts, the position-determining means for each of said shafts being adjustably mounted thereon, a set of stops cooperating with each set oi position-determining means adjustably mounted on each of said shafts,

means, there being a stop for each positiondetermining means, a selector device carrying a plurality of means for setting in unison a selected stop of each set to cooperate with their associated position-determining means in accordance with the desired position of said shafts,

and a common drive mechanism for said shafts,

said drive mechanism being coupled thereto through a slip-clutch device.

3. The arrangement described in claim 2 characterized by that said control shafts are positioned around said stop-setting means.

4. The arrangement described in claim 2 characterized by that said means for setting the stops comprises a cylindrical rotary member provided with a plurality of stop operating means arranged spirally along the cylindrical surface thereof.

' DIRK BO'I'ERWEG.

FLORUS CORNELIS WILLEM SLOOFF. 

